The 23rd annual 2011 Solstice Parade concludes.
Then we visit a little of the 39th annual 2011 Fremont Fair.
As we continue with the 2011 Solstice Parade, we begin with the Spaghetti Monster where
we left off on last week's episode.
And on this wet Solstice, it is still very crowded.
You guys, I just want to take a second opportunity to welcome my lovely partner, my lovely partner
in crime, Sufi Moonshadow.
The one and only.
Okay, this coming here, just in case anybody's interested, this is Natives Discover Cannabis.
I just want to take a quick poll.
How many people think that cannabis should be legal?
How many people would like to smoke some cannabis right now?
This man feels that cannabis should be mandatory.
Okay, this is the moment in history, ladies and gentlemen, where the criminals discovered
cannabis.
Kickball lead.
Kickball.
How do you think?
Can I try out for the team?
Still so is win.
How many people would like to buy the Fremont Bridge?
I got one for sale for you.
Okay, here we go with the Hop Knobbers.
They're Hop Knobbing.
Oh my God, look at these people.
They're Hop Knobbers.
I want to take a second, you guys, to point out an old friend of mine right here, one
of the seven individuals on the planet who has been in all 23 Solstice parades.
Denise Fogelman.
Sorry, Denise Henriksen now, excuse me very much.
That's a lot of parades.
The Lake Washington rowing club.
These are the people that get up at three o'clock in the morning to go row and they like it.
Yeah.
I kind of prefer to stay up until three o'clock myself.
While he chats for a moment and the parade catches up, this tape will run out, so I will switch tapes and catch up when this next group finally gets up here.
I'm a little ahead beyond that group we missed, the Vegan Goddesses, and I don't recall this last one.
They came up a little quicker than it took time to change the tape out.
Samba.
So the 23rd annual Solstice Parade in Fremont comes to an end.
And now the crowd.
All right, we can get rid of that tape now.
Come on into the street ladies and gentlemen.
Samba.
Solstice Parade.
And as the parade comes to an end, we will go and check out some of the Fremont Fair and art cars.
The Fremont Fair.
Still a little drizzly.
Very, very crowded right after the parade.
Not sure how much we'll see here today.
But there's also tomorrow as well.
I know.
We'll see what happens.
Samba.
Some of the same ones showing up each year.
And occasionally something new.
A lot of people checking out the art cars.
And some of the same ones showing up each year.
Running a little short on time this year.
That's a very interesting one. We'll come back to that in a minute.
And we will have to actually end for this year, I think. So have all your travels become an adventure.
Learn more about the 24th annual 2012 Solstice Parade occurring June 16th at noon in Fremont, as well as the festival occurring shortly thereafter at Gasworks Park at FremontArtsCouncil.org.
Learn more about the 40th annual fair occurring June 16th and 17th at FremontFair.com. Please be sure to visit my website, AdventureTV.Bravest.com, for regular programming updates, links to upcoming events, as well as plays and musicals, and now archived episodes.
And as always, thank you for watching AdventureTV, and now...
We briefly attend the 3rd annual 2012 Emerald City Reptile Expo.
I am now going to be going into the Emerald City Reptile Expo for 2012 for its 3rd annual event for a very short segment. And let's head on inside.
You need to see this. I've heard this.
There you go. Now you see it.
You go too far.
So how old is this tortoise?
He's 12 years old.
He will live to be 75 to 80 on average, but over 100 is not uncommon.
He weighs 98 pounds, and he's only about half grown. It's not uncommon for them to get well over 200 pounds.
They come from Sub-Saharan Africa. His name is Donatello.
Do you have to have a special permit?
No, not for these guys.
He lives in a specialized shed that I built for him. Outside, he gets to come and go as he wants to.
In the wild, they eat grass and dry hay, so they come from a very nutrient-poor diet. Things like strawberries are a great treat to them.
It's like candy to them. They don't get a chance to eat these things very much.
One more.
He can actually take off a finger easily, but he won't.
It's interesting seeing very close-up of the legs there.
He can bite through a carrot that's an inch thick, so a finger would be nothing for him.
This is called a forward scoot. Males and females have this. Males are more prominent. As he gets older, this will come curved up more.
Males use it a lot of times for combat with other males, trying to flip them over, establish dominance in territory.
The spurs you see on his thigh here are also known as the African Spurred Thigh Tortoise or the Focada Tortoise.
These are used for digging. In the wild, because they come from South Saharan Africa, and it's so warm and so hot, they can't really be out in the daylight temperatures.
They'll dig burrows that are like three feet deep and 20-30 feet long with these great big spurs.
In captivity, these guys can't be kept inside because they'll easily go through drywall with the spurs. He lives outside.
Does he have an area where he can dig and stuff like that then?
Thankfully, he's never dug in my yard, but it's not uncommon for them to dig in captivity.
It's not uncommon for them to be in your yard, but end up in your neighbor's yard.
But luckily, he's never done that for me. He roams around in my big backyard. He mows my lawn year-round.
I mow my lawn once. Once in the springtime, he keeps it short the rest of the year.
That's pretty convenient. And I'm guessing that's a lot. You don't have to really feed them a whole lot then.
No, because they have evolved to come from a very nutrient-poor diet, grass and hay is what they eat in the wild.
For them to eat the nutrient-rich grass in the Northwest is actually probably a little bit too much for them.
It would be better if I were to feed them dry grass and hay, but when I put down hay next to him versus the wet, luscious grass, he chooses the wet, luscious grass every time.
And he's how old right now?
He's 12 years old, and he'll easily live to be 75 to 80, but over 100 years old is not uncommon.
So now, you're more likely to pass on than he is.
Exactly. He's called a family heirloom.
So you have someone to pass him off to then if you pass on?
Our kids.
Aha. Okay.
Either that or whoever buys the house after us, because his shed is built in the backyard.
Aha.
3D. There you go.
Very interesting. Well, thank you for taking us on a little...
Happy to help out.
...educational tour of this tortoise.
And keep in mind, he was a rescue. Most animals that are like him are rescues, because they're so big that most first-time owners don't realize how big they're going to get.
So he was a rescue animal, unfortunately.
Wow.
Thank you very much.
And do you have more information, like a website or anything about him or anything?
Absolutely. You can contact the Pacific Northwest Herbological Society.
PNWHS.org or you can go on our forum page. If you have any questions about any reptiles at all, Google PNHS and forum and you can find the forum page for the Pacific Northwest Herbological Society.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
We'll see where else our journeys take us here at the Reptile Garden.
I'm thinking of a place in South Dakota, because I just came from South Dakota on a Crazy Horse Volksmarch. But, no, the Reptile Expo here at the Exhibition Hall.
So our next reptile is this lizard, or otherwise known as...
This is Lizzie, the green iguana. She's approximately eight years old. They can live to be about 20 years old.
They're herbivores, which means that they don't eat any type of protein, bugs, or other animals.
They need very specific caging requirements for heat, light, humidity. So they're not a really good pet for everyone.
She's a full-grown female. She's about three feet long and ten pounds.
The males can get to be twice that, at about six feet long and over 20 pounds.
So they require a large cage.
And this one's how old again?
She's eight.
Eight.
And she's been spayed.
And how long will she get?
She can live to be about 20, hopefully.
And do you have more information on this kind of lizard, or iguana?
You can access the information, usually at the PNW website. I think you already have that.
But there are other good internet sources as well.
She likes to be brushed. She enjoys that.
Because it helps her shed.
We'll see where else we head here at the Emerald City Reptile Expo.
Now we have a snake. What kind of snake is this?
This is a Russian rat snake, Elapsed Shuranki.
And what is so special about this one?
She's from the Amur River region between Korea and Russia.
These are the farther inland breed, deeper into Russia.
As you get down towards the coast near Korea, they actually change color.
The black would be a more bronze and copperish look, and those are the Korean rat snakes.
And how old do they get?
She is two years old, and they'll reach full grown at about five years, and average around six feet.
And what made you decide to have a rat snake as a pet?
After researching them, these are known for being completely fearless, which also makes them extremely docile.
They're active during the day, so when you walk into the room, they're not just holed up in a hide or under a log.
They're out looking around, they'll watch you.
Do you have to take any special precautions so it doesn't get out into the neighbor's yard or anything like that?
Well, they're in a secure enclosure.
Do you ever let her wander the yard at all?
I'll take her outside, still keeping a hand on her, but for photographs and stuff.
Oh, but not kind of for a wander around?
No, I don't let her wander around.
And how long do they usually live?
About 15 years is the average life span.
And is there more information on this, probably also at the PNB or the website?
Yeah, you can find some information there.
Reptile Magazine has a good article about them, and that's actually where I found most of the information that led me to getting one of these.
Okay, well thank you for the time and talking to the viewers.
Thank you.
Very interesting.
She's a carpet python from Indonesia.
Our next guest is this snake, and this is?
Pig.
Okay, and why is he or she called Pig?
Well, her name is Pig because there's an indigenous population where she's native that worships the pig.
Oh, okay.
And so I decided to call her Pig.
Okay, so you did a little research.
Yes, I did.
And what kind of snake is this exactly?
She is an Euryngia carpet python.
Okay, and that means what exactly?
That means she's a carpet python native to Euryngia.
No, but now carpet, does that mean?
Carpet python, there is a large group of python species, probably about 20 different species, that all have similar markings and they're genetically related.
And it's called the Morelia complex, it's the Morelia genus of snakes.
And they're all called carpet pythons, and there's a lot of genetic overlap, and they're all related, but they're not the same animal.
And so when you say carpet python, you're basically talking about the Morelia species of pythons.
Aha, okay.
And how big is this one currently?
She's just about six feet long.
If you want to pan back, I can stretch her out.
And how big will she get?
She is a full grown adult female.
This is it, she's eight, so she's all the way done growing.
Okay.
And do you have to worry about her wrapping too tight around you or anything?
No.
She won't squeeze unless she thinks I'm going to drop her.
Okay.
And of course, a website for more information, or do you have a specific one for yourself or the snake?
Not for myself or the snake, but I am part of the Pacific Northwest Herpetological Society.
I'm actually currently working with our adoptions program.
So if you wanted more information about our events or the things that we do, or even this animal in particular, you can always contact me through the site.
And that site is?
www.pnwhs.org.
Okay.
Now you said something about adoption or something?
Yeah, the Herpetological Society is a group of reptile and amphibian enthusiasts.
We do public outreach like this in order to sort of educate the public and expose them to reptiles.
We also do adoption and rescue.
We are the largest 501c3 reptile and amphibian rescue in this part of the country by far, and the most active.
Yes, so we have a really good relationship with most of the area animal control agencies.
If somebody drops their turtle in Lake Washington or leaves a lizard at the grocery store,
most humane societies or animal shelters for dogs and cats aren't really set up to deal with their different needs.
So they call us and we take them into our foster program and then adopt them out once they're healthy.
Okay. Well, very interesting.
And obviously she's very comfortable laying there with you.
Yes, she's very chill. She's also tired. It's been a long weekend for her too.
Ah, okay. Well, I thank you for your time and talking to the viewers and I'll let you pack her away.
Thank you very much.
I now have with me the president of the association and you are?
I'm Brenda Huber.
And the full title of the association is?
It's the Pacific Northwest Herpetological Society.
Right behind you there.
Yeah, absolutely.
And what exactly does PNHS do?
PNHS was established back in the 1960s by a couple of zookeepers from our local zoo in Seattle.
And it was established primarily for education to go out to the Seattle area schools,
do outreach and also inform the public on responsible reptile and amphibian ownership.
And it's been carrying on for over 40 years now and we've also evolved as a full-fledged 501c3 nonprofit.
We do animal rescue and as well as going to all the schools in the Seattle major area
and educating children about reptiles and amphibians and conservation.
And what kinds of reptiles are showcased here at this particular event?
At this event we had thousands, thousands of different reptiles and amphibians and colonians,
which is a fancy term for turtles, tortoises, terrapins.
We had pretty much everything that you could possibly think of.
We also had a wild animal presentation from Predators of the Heart,
which their website is predatorsoftheheart.org,
and they brought King Cobra as well as some rattlesnakes and cougar and wolves
and all sorts of amazing wild animals and did several presentations throughout the weekend.
Great. Well, that sounds pretty interesting.
And it's something that you invite the public to.
Yes, yes. This is open to the public and children are free to get in.
And our main reason is to actually get children in,
let them learn that they're not animals to be feared,
but rather with more education then they will actually have more of a response to conservation
and keeping our planet healthy and safe.
And of course the website is?
Our website is www.pnwhs.org
and the Emerald City Reptile Expo is that.com
and you can find all of us there.
Okay, well thank you very much for your time
and giving us a little bit of information about the Society.
Oh, it's my pleasure. Thank you so much.
So as we close out, we're taking one last look at a?
A male adult green iguana.
I believe his name is JR and as you can see from his tail,
he was a rescue originally.
Part of his tail broke off and was slowly growing back,
but that's sort of a permanent deformity.
Green iguanas are problematic because we get five or six calls every week
wanting people wanting to surrender their iguanas.
The problem is pet stores sell them for $29.95
and they're adorable cute little green babies,
but they grow into six foot lizards and require their own room.
So we have to turn these guys away every single week.
We get at least five or six calls about adult iguanas needing new homes.
So our message is I know the baby is cute and priced to sell,
but please think about what it's going to be when it grows up.
Okay.
And with that message, we will end this short little segment on the North?
What's the full title again?
It's the Pacific Northwest Herpetological Society.
There we go. For 2012.
Have all your travels become an adventure.
It's okay.
Learn more about the Expo at emeraldcityreptilexpo.com.
Please be sure to visit my website, adventuretv.braphost.com
for regular programming updates, links to upcoming events,
as well as plays and musicals, and now archived episodes.
And as always, thank you for watching Adventure TV.
And now some short clips of upcoming episodes.
We're going to head into Hewlett, Wyoming for the Ham and Jam.
And check that out.
And maybe even the Devil's Tower,
which kind of stands tall like Barabute Mountain here,
but very different, and it's a monument.
First American monument.
The Devil's Tower.
America's first monument.
It's been a monument for over 100 years now, I think.
But we're going to find out more details later on.
Because right now we are going to be heading over to Hewlett
for the Ham and Jam.
And then we're going to return to the Devil's Tower
for an in-depth interview and coverage.
As one comes into Hewlett,
it's a small town of about 400, maybe 450.
And all the bikes line up here.
If you're driving a car, a truck, or anything else
other than a motorcycle, you have to go down this way.
Besides this antique store here, it's also a museum.
We're going to check that out after a while.
And we're going to be spending the next couple hours here,
so we'll be checking out a few things.
During the Ham and Jam in Hewlett, Wyoming on Wednesday.
Normally this town is very quiet, very small.
Plenty of vendors here, as well as the usual retailers
that live here all year round.
You get all kinds of food.
One of the places that also has food
and is supported by the towns folks
is here at the Civic Center, where they have biker lunch.
I think they might even have a breakfast, too.
But we'll head inside and find out about that.
Head inside and check out Chip and her Chipmunks.
And it's our favorite chocolatier.
Well, hello there. Hi. So you're back for the rally?
We are. And how are you doing this year?
I'm doing good. I'm doing good.
I was a little surprised that your Alvins and Chipmunks weren't outside.
Oh, no. It's hard to take them in and out all the time.
My brother said that they were actually behind us.
Yes, they are. Did you get a good look at them?
Well, not yet.
You did.
But, okay, so they're sitting over here.
Oh, and she's got some more critters added down there.
But we like coming to visit you.
We wanted to get here early enough so we weren't catching that closing time.
Oh, that's a good idea.
How's business been for you?
It's been great. It's been great.
No complaints whatsoever. We're still growing and that's always a good thing.
Okay. Any other chocolate conventions or anything like that you've been asked yet?
We started doing road shows for Sam's Club.
Really?
Yes. So we go in and do four-day shows and then we get to get money from them, which is nice.
So we're doing the one in Rapid City, but we can actually go to any Sam's Club in the United States now and sell our products.
So are they going to be shipping your products to Sam's Clubs or anything?
No, I would actually take them there.
They wanted me to actually sell in Sam's Club, but I don't want to do that yet. That's a little big.
Okay, but a little too much.
A little too much, yes.
Okay. Well, that sounds like a promising road.
Oh, it is. It is. And I've got new chipmunks all the time. This is Lisa.
Hi.
And what is her name?
Pollyanna.
Chipette. Pollyanna Chipette.
Yeah.
Okay. And then you're?
And this is Elise. And Elise just started and Elise does not have a...
Hi. I want to be Pixie Sparkle Dust.
Pixie can. Pixie Sparkle Dust. She is Pixie Sparkle Dust.
Okay.
That was easy.
And where are some of your previous chipmunks?
Actually, there's a couple in the back and there's one way in the back in my new office, which is now way back there.
Oh, new office.
Yes, a new office. Yeah, we're growing.
Moving on up?
Moving on up, moving out back and forward and everything else.
Well, every year we come out, there's a little something different going on with you.
Always, always. Definitely.
And what new chocolate concoctions have you come up with this year?
We have chocolate malt, cheddar bear cheesecake is back again, and oh, we have a protein truffle.
It's six grams of protein in one little truffle.
I had to point it out where I was looking.
Right down there on the bottom. Can you see it?
Here.
The power bar?
Right here, yeah.
Power protein.
Somehow that's just wrong.
No, it's not wrong.
It's good. It's great for like just a breakfast.
Yeah, breakfast of champions.
Which one of these isn't great for breakfast?
Um, I don't have that one yet.
Yeah.
But I am thinking of doing some like hors d'oeuvres truffles too.
Oh, one of my favorites has always been this mint.
And the hot mama.
Yeah, yeah, right.
No, no, no.
That was funny.
Yeah, yeah.
I thought it was a stir.
Yeah, yeah.
He got to try the hot mama.
And he did about five gallons of water afterwards.
No, just one.
Just one bottle.
Are you sure it was just one bottle?
It was just one bottle of water.
But didn't we refill it a bunch of times?
You thought it was spicy?
Did you really think it was spicy?
That's a man chocolate.
I think that's man chocolate.
That's it.
Hang on.
That's it.
Three more.
That's it.